Agencies offer advice on storm water etiquette

October 29, 2008|Tribune Staff Report

BENTON HARBOR -- Keeping the water blue. That is one of the slogans a group of government agencies is using to educate Berrien County residents about the need to keep storm water drains clean. The goal? Protecting the water in the Paw Paw and St. Joseph rivers. The Michigan Department of Transportation, Youth Corps, the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission, and the city of Benton Harbor's Department of Public Works teamed up and posted decals on dozens of storm drains along Michigan 139 from Interstate 94 to the I-94 Business Loop. "The project is one of many education activities aimed at preventing pesticides, fertilizer, trash, pet waste and household chemicals from entering the rivers," according to the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission. Each group had a role. MDOT employees and Youth Corps applied the storm drain labels. SWMPC provided labels and educational door hangers. Stencils were purchased with grant funds from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality as part of the Paw Paw River Watershed Project. Benton Harbor's public works officials also raised residents' awareness about water quality through information packets. The message is clear: everything that washes down streets, from yards, driveways, parking lots and fields, winds up in storm drains. And storm drains wash into winding storm sewer systems that discharge directly into local rivers and streams, according to the SWMPC. The commission offers residents these tips: -Never dump anything down a storm drain. -Pick up and dispose of pet waste. -Limit use of pesticides and fertilizers. -Properly dispose of household chemicals. -Sweep driveways and sidewalks instead of hosing them. -Wash cars at car wash facilities or on lawns rather than in driveways.